Kāeo flood scheme aims to alter river and reduce flood levels by 400mm

Phase two of the Kāeo flood scheme aims to ease flooding in the town by altering the course of the Kāeo River. Photo / Yolisa Tswanya

Flooding in Kāeo has long been a fact of life, but an ongoing project aims to ease the burden by altering the course of the Kāeo River.

Phase two of the Kāeo flood scheme aims to reduce the town’s flood level by 300-400mm and is due to start this year.

Northland regional councillor Marty Robinson, who chairs the Kāeo River-Whangaroa Catchment Working Group, said the second phase had been on the table since 2014.

He said moving the confluence of the Kāeo River and Waikara Stream about 500m downstream would reduce the flood level by roughly 440mm. Flooding would also be reduced on State Highway 10.

Robinson said 11 options had been considered before phase one and two were shortlisted in 2014. They included shifting the town, detention dams and dredging the harbour.

Phase one was completed in 2014.

It is hoped plans to alter the course of the Kāeo River will reduce flooding in the town. Photo / Yolisa Tswanya

Robinson said the council was negotiating with two landowners along the river who may be affected by its reshaping.

“This is farmland paddocks; no houses are involved in the project alignment.”

He said erosion and silt controls had been designed into the project.

“The Kāeo River has occupied all parts of the floodplain in the distant past; this is obvious because you can see old river channels and oxbow lakes that have been historically cut off when the river changed course – typical river geomorphology behaviour for floodplains such as this.”

Robinson said a constructed wetland was also being considered for the old Kāeo channel that will be occupied by the smaller Waikara Stream.

The council is negotiating with two landowners along the river who may be affected by its reshaping. Photo / Yolisa Tswanya

Kāeo resident Anna Valentine was not convinced the change and its estimated budget of $1.5 million were the right solution.

“I think it’s a waste of money to be honest. I have lived here for the past 11 years and flooding never stops the traffic flow.

“All the work they have done so far has done the trick.”

Valentine believed the money could be better spent planting trees along the river.

Ngaere Manning, a ratepayer representative on the Whangaroa Catchment Working Group, believed phase two was more about SH10 than flooding in Kāeo.

Resident Ngaere Manning serves as a ratepayer representative on the Whangaroa Catchment Working Group. Photo / Yolisa Tswanya

“When you hear stories about flooding in Kāeo, it’s mostly on SH10, which runs through the town.”

Manning said a stopbank would be put in place to allow the river to curve down to Oumanu Rd to prevent flooding on SH10.

Should flooding affect SH10 it would be detrimental because the town would be shut off from the rest of the Far North, she said.

“Council is worried about SH10, six months ago they put the rocks along the river. It’s a problem that I think should be fixed and that is why I voted for it.”

Manning said the project was due to start in March.